Stock-feeding mechanism.



L. M WAITE.

STOCK FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION man MAY 19, 1916.

1 21,3150 Patented June 26, 191?.

IML Q 5 O A I I I I 25 Q 4/ n we g WW LYMAM M. WAI'IE, orrrronnuns, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'I'O1FITCHBURG MACHINE WORKS, or FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, A ooaroanrron or MASSA- CHUSETTS.

STOCK-FEEDING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 121?...

Application filed May 19, 1916. Serial No. 98,646.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN M. WAITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of VVorcest er and:

but particularly designed for use on'an automat-ic lathe or similar machine.

I have shown my invention as applled to a multiple spindle lathe of the type shown in the patent to Grant No. 926,7 36 patented July 6, 1909. In this type of machine a plurality of stock holding spindles are mounted in a spindle head which is longitudinally movable to advance the stock relatively to the tools, the latter being mounted in a fixed tool head. As the spindle head is drawn back away from the tools the spindles are each advanced to the next position, and as each spindle in succession moves from the fourth to the first position the stock is fed forward in that particular spindle.

This feed of the stool: is under the control of a stock feeding cam, and variations in the feed have been heretofore commonly secured by changing the structure of the cam. It has been the usual practice to-use a drum upon which separate cam plates are secured, and to secure the change in feed by substituting different plates upon the drum.

This procedure is expensive both in time and labor, and it is the principal object of my present invention to improve upon the construction above described by providing means for more conveniently obtaining variations in feed.

With this object in view my invention relates specifically to the provision of adjusting mechanism for moving the stock feeding cam longitudinally upon its driving shaft.

My invention further relates to certain arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter deseribed'and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of the stock ffeeding device;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the stock feeding cam.

As shown in the drawings my improved stock feeding device comprises a stock feeding member or slide 10 suitably supported on guide plates 11 and 12 (Fig. 1), and provided. with an upwardly projecting por tion 10 adapted to at times engage a flange 13 formed on the rear end of a friction sleeve-1d, which extends for-ward inside of the spindle 15. I

In Fig. 1, I have indicated the fourth and first positions of the spindle. As the spindle head is drawn backward (or to the left in Fig. 2) the friction sleeve 14 is moved more rapidly to the left, thus drawing the sleeve backward over the stock before it is released within the Spindle 15. The feeding device or slide 10 is then in its extreme lefthand position, the slide being actuated by a cam roll 16 engaging an irregular cam groove 17 in a cam 18.

The cam 18 is keyed to the cam shaft 19, rotatable at one end in a fixed bearing 20 and prevented from longitudinal movement by collars 21, or in any other convenient manner. The cam 18 is free to slide longitudinally along the cam shaft 19, and is positioned thereon by an adjusting screw 22. The screw 22 is threaded into the hub 18 of the cam 18, and is provided with a flange or collar 23 which projects into a circumferential groove 24 formed in the cam shaft 19 near the outer end thereof.

The end of the adjusting screw projects slightly beyond the end of the cam shaft, and provision is made for detachably securing a handle 25 thereto. The screw 22 is closely fitted into the hub 18 so that it will remain in the position to which it is moved thus holding the ca m in adjusted longitudinal position upon the cam shaft 19. A. check nut 26 may be used to positively lock the screw 22 against rotation, but such provision is not commonly necessary.

The collar 23 projecting into the groove 24 prevents relative longitudinal movement of the screw 22 and the shaft 19, and rotation of the screw therefore causes the cam 18 to be moved longitudinally of the shaft. When it is desired to change the limits of the feeding stroke of the slide 10, it is merely necessary to attach the handle to the screw 22, and to quickly adjust the cam 18 on the cam shaft 19 until the slide 10 is brought to the desired position. In this way, I avoid entirely the use of all loose cam plates, and I secure the desired adjustment much more quickly and less laboriously than it has been previously secured.

Having thus described my invention it will be evident that changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and seopethereof as set forth in the claims, and I do not Wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but What I claim is 1. A stock feeding mechanism comprising a shaft held in fixed position longitudinally, a stock feeding slide, a cam for moving said slide, rotatable With and slidableon said shaft, and means for changing the longitudinal position of said cam on said shaft, there by changing the locus of movement of said slide, and for securing said cam in adjusted position.

2. A stock feeding mechanism comprising a shaft held in fixed position longitudinally,

a stock feeding slide, a cam for moving said slide, rotatable with and slidable on said shaft,'an'd means for moving said cam longitudinally on said shaft, said means comprising anaidjusting screw threaded into the hub of said cam, extending beyond the outer end of-said shaft, and having a flange thereon engaging a circumferential groove in said shaft, and-means for turningsaid screw.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my: hand.

LYMAN M. VVAITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

